Brenda Yufeh
21 November 2008
This was during the educational programme to fight against HIV in workplaces organised by ILO.
«Bayem Sellam" women of the Emombo market in Yaounde, an Association of Free Girls and a host of workers in different enterprises in Cameroon have carved a new style of fighting against HIV. Their new living style came as a result of an educational programme to fight against HIV in the workplace. The programme, which is coming to its end, was spearheaded by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Ministry of Labour and Social Security with the United States Department of Labour as the main sponsor.
Before now a group of 50 "bayem sellam" women in the Emombo market were happily active in casual sex after their market routine. Dr Valentine Engoudou Douala-Mouteng, National Project Coordinator at ILO says after market hours, these women usually dash into drinking spots around the market in a bid to obtain money from paid sex. In line with the ILO project, two women were trained to sensitise their mates on HIV. Within one year tremendous results were recorded as Dr Valentine Engoudou says, these women shunned from what they were doing before. Moreover, 24 girls who were children of these women stopped their jobs as prostitute and came up with an association known as "Association of Free Girls" which seeks to sensitise other youths on how to curb HIV.
Now that the educational programme to fight against HIV is drawing to its end, Dr Valentine Engoudou says it is important to seek ways on how to sustain achievements made so far. That is why yesterday experts from ILO, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and other partners participated in a two-day workshop to make a final evaluation survey of the programme which has brought enormous change in the lives of HIV patients within their workplaces.
According to Jean Bathelot Zambo from SOSUCAM, a sugar cane plantation situated some 150 kilometres North of Yaounde, before the implementation of the project, SOSUCAM use to register 10 deaths each year due to the HIV/AIDS. But with the existence of the project, the number of people dying has reduced from 10 to three. "This is because people carry out the HIV test early enough and begin treatment with the financial assistance of the company" Dr Zambo noted. He also added that with the birth of a convention to protect the rights of HIV patients within their enterprise, patients no longer suffer from stigmatisation and discrimination. Yesterday's workshop enabled partners to discuss on whether as the project rounds up, activities linked to it will end or not? "We are examining various financial means which could sponsor activities linked to the project', Dr Valentine Engoudou stressed.
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